2018-2019 exchange Winter 2019 Newsletter FINAL | Page 7

And finally, our technological toolbox will soon be poised to hyper scale yet again in its ability to process all this data. Advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics, bolstered by its foundation, is the last piece of the four-dimensional “singularity" puzzle. Because that is the point where data goes from being an impersonal, ob- scure concept to what it naturally aspires to be. That’s where we make that leap, from piggy banks to hedge funds; the metamor- phosis where data becomes information. And information can be harnessed. It can be consumed, understood and exploited. Personally, I subscribe to the notion that there is an inherent natu- ral balance in all things and particularly in complex systems. I be- lieve there is a cycle— an ebb and flow; a lifecycle, if you will. Rap- id advancements like the one we’re in the midst of can easily be- come the proverbial runaway train, and eventually there is a need to counterbalance its own self-imploding effects. The question is, will we be the creators of our own destiny, assertive enough to ap- ply the lessons we've learned through the years about lifecycles and practical governance frameworks, or will the counterbalance be a more nefarious event and settle things for us if we’re late to the party? The theme of this issue of exchange is all things data. And I would like to take this opportunity to remind our readers what an awe- some responsibility we have as stewards of information assets. Our relevance in this burgeoning global conversation will be script- ed by the actions we take today, as ambassadors of the discipline of Information Governance. The manner in which we educate, col- laborate and cooperate in this truly evolutionary leap will determine whether the power of the information we harness will be used to cure cancer, or to start the next world war. Fondly, Gene Stakhov, CRM, CDIA+ President, ARMA Metro NYC Chapter [email protected] 7